Farmers refusing to use ‘snowflake’ vets who have no background in farming

Farmers are refusing to take on “snowflake” veterinary students who do not have a farming background.

File photo.

It is reported that a pig farmer in North Cork said he will no longer accommodate these students.

It comes after two students made a complaint to the Department of Agriculture in relation to how he conducts his farming.

Shane McAuliffe, a pig farmer in Kerry, told the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk radio that veterinary students are disconnected from farming operations.

Mr McAuliffe said: When I have vet students on placement, sometimes they are there for only a week maybe two weeks, whereas when I get Animal Science students, Agricultural students, they are there for well over a month.

“The vet students, I would love to see them spend more time at pig farming, they do very little [on farms] in their whole five years of their degree.”